Bausch & Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.) has voluntarily recalled 12 lots of ReNu MultiPlus lens care solution made at its plant in Greenville, S.C., and distributed in the United States and other countries. The solution in these lots contains an elevated level of trace iron, the company said in a press release. The iron may result in discoloration in some bottles, and the shelf life of the product may be shorter than its normal 2-year expiration date due to loss of effectiveness, the release said. The company noted that it has received no reports of serious adverse events associated with these lots, and it believes that virtually all of the affected product, which was manufactured about a year ago, has already been used. B&L said it notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its voluntary recall. About 1 million bottles of solution from nine of the 12 lots were distributed in the United States. Some product from the affected lots was also distributed in Canada, Korea, Taiwan and countries in Latin America, and is being recalled from those countries as well. An investigation was begun after three consumer reports of discolored solution were received. The cause was determined to be an elevated level of trace iron in a batch of raw material from a supplier. The trace iron could combine with other compounds in the solution and result in discoloration. Discoloration would signal that the solution may be losing effectiveness. If consumers notice discoloration in lens care solution, they should discard it, the company said. Recalled lots carry the expiration date “2008 – 03” on the bottle and belong to these lot numbers: GC6030, GC6037, GC6038, GC6045, GC6048, GC6052, GC6061, GC6063, GC6072, GC6073, GC6080, GC6085.

TargeGen Inc. (San Diego) announced the completion of a single-center Phase I clinical trial of its drug TG100801, being developed as a topical treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases. TG100801, a small-molecule, multi-target kinase inhibitor, was evaluated in 42 healthy volunteer subjects. According to preliminary results announced in a press release in February, the drug was found to be well tolerated in humans at both test doses when applied topically twice daily for 14 days. Final results of the Phase I study are expected in April 2007. TargeGen said it plans to initiate Phase II clinical trials in patients with wet AMD by mid-2007. According to the TargeGen press release, TG100801, applied topically, is intended to suppress disease-related edema, angiogenesis and inflammation simultaneously in diseases such as AMD, diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Eye strain reported by one-third of respondents to survey; number is higher in youth

Results from a recent survey show people in Oregon spend an average of 3 hours a day at a computer screen. One-third of respondents reported experiencing eye strain or discomfort during computer use. The rate of eye strain or discomfort was higher in younger users, the survey found. Almost half of respondents to the telephone survey, sponsored by the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association, reported using a computer at home, and about 15% said they use the computer as much at home as at work. Symptoms reported by respondents included headaches, double vision, excessive tearing, dry eyes, eye pain, excessive blinking or squinting, blurriness and difficulty focusing. Respondents between the ages of 18 to 44 years reported these symptoms more frequently than older respondents. The survey, conducted in January 2007 by Riley Research Associates, gathered information from 396 respondents.

EyeWorld Week Online (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication
of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and
the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, is published
every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.